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Summary
Summary
In her vivacious, fresh voice, Marcela Valladolid invigorates America's taste for real Mexican food-dishes that can be accomplished on any busy weeknight but that still express the authentic flavors of her native cuisine.
Growing up in Mexico, Marcela Valladolid rejoiced in the complex moles, dozens of different chiles, and homemade tortillas that graced her family's dinner table. Going to school across the border in San Diego, and later to cooking school in Paris, she found plenty to love in the markets, quickly folding new ingredients into her repertoire. But she also encountered some curious foods masquerading as authentic Mexican- cheddar cheese-stuffed quesadillas, tortilla chips drowning in still more cheese, and the ubiquitous everything-but-the-kitchen-sink overstuffed burritos. Where were the authentic, easy-to-prepare Mexican recipes she grew up with? The brightly flavored seafood ceviches bursting with freshness? The simple, slender burritos filled with nothing more than intensely flavorful braised meat and blistered chiles? The healthy salsas that come together in minutes but can transform a meal?
In Fresh Mexico , Marcela brings these dishes to life. Her food is much like her, Mexican but influenced by other cultures. You' ll find recipes for Tilapia Ceviche; Butternut Squash-Chipotle Bisque; Roasted Pork Loin with Pineapple Glaze; Ancho-Chocolate Braised Short Ribs; and Fresh Guava Layer Cake.
Inspired ideas, helpful cooking techniques, and ingredient substitutions make this the most accessible, appealing, and contemporary Mexican cookbook you'll find today. In addition, fast recipes and dishes that are low in fat are called out with easy-to-find symbols. With more than a hundred delicious recipes and beautiful color photography throughout, Fresh Mexico introduces a new generation of Americans to the vibrant flavors of modern Mexico.
Author Notes
MARCELA VALLADOLID is the host of Food Network's Mexican Made Easy. Raised in Tijuana, Mexico, she attended the Los Angeles Culinary Institute and later the Ritz-Escoffier Cooking School in Paris. A former recipe editor/tester at Bon App e tit magazine, she became widely known after appearing as a contestant on The Apprentice- Martha Stewart . She and her young son divide their time between Tijuana and San Diego.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Positing that many Americans associate Mexican cuisine with shiny globs of orange cheese, Valladolid sets out to offer a broader, more diverse and healthier vision of south-of-the-border cooking. The Tijuana-born, Ritz-Escoffier-educated Valladolid is a young mother as well as a culinary television personality. As such, she values "weeknight" recipes that can be produced with a minimum of fuss and a few good flavors. Though Valladolid's mission is to educate readers of the world beyond Old El Paso taco kits, she distinguishes herself from authenticity-focused Mexican cookbook authors such as Diana Kennedy, allowing for looser, creative interpretations that befit contemporary eaters: osso bucco with lime zest and chilis; mascarpone-stuffed squash blossoms with raspberry vinaigrette; and the decadent Mexican cake, pastel de tres leches, made with Italian meringue as a substitute for the traditional raw egg whites. Using ingredients that are readily found in the U.S., her creations are reliable and at times wonderfully simple, like a bright slaw of jicama, arbol chilis and uncooked beets with toasted sesame oil, or baked cod with anchovies, lime and a few kalamata olives and capers thrown in for good measure. Home cooks will appreciate Valladolid's enthusiastic yet straightforward approach. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Viewers of Spanish-language cable television already recognize Valladolid from her cooking series. Now she aims for a new audience with a collection of Mexican recipes that can be produced outside Latin America. Although she offers a few tacos and enchiladas, she really illustrates the depth and variety of Mexican cuisine and its adaptability to a wide range of foods. Instead of the ubiquitous fried stuffed jalapeño peppers, French-trained Valladolid bakes her roasted peppers in puff pastry. Chorizo and cheese fill chayote squash halves for a sort of Mexican take on twice-baked potatoes. She roasts cabbage under a veil of browned cheese. Osso buco takes on a new guise braised in a simple mole based on peppers, garlic, tomatoes, and lime. Salads take advantage of Mexico's great variety of fruits. For dessert, Valladolid manages a layered cake combining flan with chocolate cake. Another unique sweet produces a brittle from pine nuts and pomegranate juice.--Knoblauch, Mark Copyright 2009 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Valladolid, a former recipe tester/editor at Bon Appetit, was a contestant on Martha Stewart's The Apprentice, which led to her own TV show, Relatos con Sabor, for the Discovery Channel. Here, she offers contemporary recipes inspired by the dishes she grew up with in Tijuana, Mexico, and her experiences in the food world since then. A good companion to Lourdes Castro's more traditional Simply Mexican. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Excerpts
Excerpts
Game Hens in Apricot, Tequila, and California Chile Sauce Serves 4 3 cups chicken broth, or more as needed 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 4 tablespoons golden tequila Two 2-pound Cornish game hens, thawed if frozen 3 California chiles, stemmed and seeded ½ cup apricot preserves Salt and freshly ground black pepper Fresh apricot halves, for garnish This recipe is one of my favorites ever. It comes from my aunt Marcela, a chef who inspired me to enter the magical world of the culinary arts. We not only share the same name and the same career, we also agree that sweet and spicy is one of the best combinations when preparing Mexican food. Store-bought apricot preserves, used here, work well; just be sure to buy the best you can find. A kitchen syringe is a useful tool for injecting the hens with a flavorful mixture of broth, butter, and tequila. The result is a moist and succulent dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix ½ cup of the chicken broth, the melted butter, and 2 tablespoons of the tequila in a small glass bowl. Using a kitchen syringe, inject the mixture all over the hens, about ½ inch deep into the flesh. (If the butter in the mixture solidifies, warm it in a microwave.) Put the chiles and 2 cups of the broth in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the chiles. Then transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the chile mixture into a small bowl, pressing on the sieve to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard whatever is left in the sieve. Mix ¼ cup of the preserves and ¼ cup of the chile mixture in a medium bowl. Season heavily with salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the hens, working some of it between the skin and the breast. Put the hens on a rack in a large roasting pan. Add the remaining ½ cup broth to the roasting pan. Roast, basting with the pan drippings every 20 minutes, for 1 hour, or until a thermometer inserted into a thigh registers 160°F. Add more broth if the juices begin to dry out. Transfer the hens to a platter. Strain the pan juices into a medium saucepan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons tequila, ¼ cup apricot preserves, and chile mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the hens, garnish the platter with fresh apricot halves, and serve. Excerpted from Fresh Mexico: 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor by Marcela Valladolid All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
